Flights to Australia

The increasing popularity of Australia as a vacation destination has led to intense competition between airlines and some extremely low fares on flights to Australia.

Before purchasing your tickets, it's good to give some thought to what you want to see while there. Depending on your plans for your Australia vacation, what initially seems to be the best flight deal may become a very expensive option.

Through May 15, 2011, non-stop flights to Australia begin only in Los Angeles and San Francisco with connections available throughout North America depending on the air carrier. After May 15, non-stop flights to Australia will also be available from Dallas-Forth Worth.

Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney are the international arrival airports for flights from the US.

If you are flying from Los Angeles, the shortest flight time is to Brisbane - under 14 hours. The flight time to Sydney is about 14½ to 15 hours, and about 15½ hours to Melbourne. If you will be connecting to a domestic flight within Australia, you will have to transfer to the domestic terminal if you arrive on an international flight in either Brisbane or Sydney.

Qantas

Qantas, the "Spirit of Australia," flies the largest airplanes, including the luxurious double-decker A380 aircraft, and the most daily non-stop flights from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO - only through May 14, 2011 when non-stop service from SFO will be discontinued) to Australia. Starting on May 16, 2011 Qantas will begin a new non-stop route from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to Brisbane, continuing on to Sydney. Qantas flies non-stop from the continental United States to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, Australia - and to Auckland, New Zealand.

One flight six days each week also departs from New York City (JFK) to connect to Qantas' Australia / New Zealand-bound flights departing in Los Angeles. This service will become daily effective June 1, 2011. For east coast travelers, the JFK flight has benefits - it is an international flight: there are no separate "luggage fees" and Qantas may hold flights in Los Angeles should the JFK flight be delayed. Plus, the aircraft is designed for international flights with more legroom and a private entertainment unit on the back of each seat. To sweeten the experience, a complementary international-quality meal, with beverages, is served!

Connecting flights from other North American airports are available through a code-share agreement with American Airlines.

If your plans for an Australia vacation package include several destinations within Australia, Qantas' Aussie AirPass may be your best value airfare choice.

United Airlines

United has non-stop flights primarily from San Francisco with less frequent service from Los Angeles and connections from other parts of the US, to Sydney, Australia. If you’re looking for a flight to Melbourne on United, you'll have to stop (and possibly change planes) in Sydney first. United does not fly to or from Brisbane.

If you have a stash of United frequent flier miles, you can use them for flights to Australia or possibly, for an upgrade.

VAustralia

The newest addition to the Virgin Group, VAustralia flies non-stop from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Non-stop flights are not available to each Australian city every day - be flexible with your travel dates if you prefer direct connections on VAustralia.

Connecting flights from other cities within the US to VAustralia's flights to Australia are available through code-share agreements with Virgin America and Delta.

Delta Airlines

Delta began flights to Sydney, Australia from LAX in 2009. Their recent announcement of code-sharing with the Virgin Group, specifically VAustralia, should increase the availability of flights to Australia for Delta’s SkyMiles members.

Air New Zealand and Air Pacific

If you’re planning to include a visit to New Zealand with your flights to Australia, Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Auckland, New Zealand, the international airport for US arrivals. A direct connection to Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Cairns - may require up to a 4 hour wait and provides the opportunity to experience Kiwi hospitality.

You can also combine your flights to Australia with a stop in Fiji by flying from Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji on Air Pacific most days of the week. Air Pacific offers a non-stop flight from Nadi to Sydney.

Flying East

Flying east is also an option to reach Australia. For the most part, flying east is more expensive - but you can combine a visit to Singapore (Singapore Air has a daily non-stop flight from Newark to Singapore) or Dubai (Emirates offers non-stop flights from JFK and Houston) with your Australia package tour. Both Emirates and Singapore Airlines offer non-stop flights from their hubs to multiple airports in Australia.

Our Value to You

With myriad special deals and promotions, the cost of the lowest priced airfare to Australia can be complicated to calculate. Call us at 1-888-825-4529 or email Authentic Australia and we’ll find the best airfare pricing for your trip – and save you the stress and hassle of wading through all the deals and offers on flights to Australia.

We will assist you in planning your itinerary to reduce the vacation time spent in airports waiting for a fight. And if you’re planning to fly to Australia on Delta, we include a complementary pass to the Virgin airport Lounge in Sydney for a comfortable wait for your connecting flights.

Choose flights to Australia into Melbourne to be close to the Yarra Valley wine region
Photo courtesty Tourism Victoria © 2009

Vacationers to Australia traveling with a US passport are required to have an Australian ETA Visa before embarking on their flights to Australia. Application is made on-line, directly to the Australian ETA office and approval typically is instantaneous. The cost is $20 AUD. The ETA Visa process is entirely electronic; you will not receive an email confirmation and should print the "acceptance" page if you want a record of your transaction.

Apply for your Visa at least a month in advance of your travel - if your application is delayed or denied, you may be required to forward additional information to the Australian Embassy.

The Visa is a valid for one year from the date of issue for stays up to 3 months. You are allowed multiple entries into Australia with one Visa. You must also have proof of a return flight or ship passage to enter Australia.